by Greg Prato
Kiss' 1974 self-titled debut is one of hard rock's all-time classic studio recordings. Kiss is chock full of their best and most renowned compositions, containing elements of Rolling Stones/New York Dolls party-hearty rock & roll, Beatles tunefulness, and Sabbath/Zep heavy metal, and wisely recorded primal and raw by producers Richie Wise and Kenny Kerner (of Gladys Knight fame). Main songwriters Stanley and Simmons each had a knack for coming up with killer melodies and riffs, as evidenced by &Nothin' to Lose& and &Deuce& (by Simmons), &Firehouse& and &Black Diamond& (by Stanley), as well as &Strutter& and &100,000 Years& (collaborations by the two). Also included is the Ace Frehley alcohol anthem &Cold Gin,& &Let Me Know& (a song that Stanley played for Simmons upon their very first meeting, then titled &Sunday Driver&), and one of Kiss' few instrumentals: the groovy &Love Theme From Kiss& (penned by the entire band). The only weak track is a tacky cover of the 1959 Bobby Rydell hit &Kissin' Time,& which was added to subsequent pressings of the album to tie in with a &Kissing Contest& promotion the band was involved in at the time. Along with 1976's Destroyer, Kiss' self-titled debut is their finest studio album, and has only improved over the years.